Miami Dolphins Officially Release Xavien Howard — With an Interesting Designation

Xavien Howard is now officially a free agent. But the former Miami Dolphins cornerback’s search for a new job could have a hiccup or two.

Why? Howard still apparently hasn’t recovered enough from a late-season foot injury to pass a physical.

Miami Dolphins Cut Still-Injured Xavien Howard

Just after the 4 p.m. start of the NFL new year, the Dolphins announced that they had released Howard with both post-June 1 and failed physical designations.

The first part was expected. The Dolphins will clear $18.5 million in cap space after June 1 by using that accounting trick.

But the fact that Howard failed his physical suggests work remains in his recovery from what he classified as a sprained foot that he suffered on New Year’s Eve.

A video circulated on social media last month of Howard doing on-field footwork drills, which certainly suggests he’s making progress. Howard was in a cast in the weeks after his injury.

If Howard is unable to play this year — an outcome no one expects — the Dolphins would be on the hook for a $4 million injury guarantee in 2024 since he failed his physical. But assuming he does sign elsewhere, that guarantee would be offset by the first $4 million of his new deal.

Howard should have a robust market in his first taste of free agency. He was PFN’s No. 54-ranked free agent of this year’s cycle, regardless of position.

And he’s the No. 3 cornerback remaining in this year’s class, behind Kendall Fuller and Stephon Gilmore.

Howard, who made $86.6 million in his eight years with the Dolphins, turns 31 this summer.

While the Dolphins are open to a reunion at a discounted rate, Howard doesn’t seem too inclined.

“That door is closed, I’m sorry,” he said on WQAM 560 last week. “I did not hear that at all [during my final meeting with GM Chris Grier]. I know that door is closed though.”

He said last week that he “was expecting” the Dolphins to cut him and made clear when the season ended that he was not interested in taking a pay cut.

“In this business, you know how it goes,” he said. “You feel it. Eight years in, I’ve seen the business side of it so many times, and I know how it pans out. Me and my agent talked about it before we signed our last deal; that’s how it was going to happen. It ended up happening. I wasn’t surprised at all.”

As for what’s next, Howard said he still intends to play and “there’s a few teams I’d be interested in playing for.”

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Among those teams? The Houston Texans.

“Right now, I’m at the point I just want to win. I want to go deep into the playoffs. Hopefully, teams like that, gone deep in the playoffs. I’m sure there are teams that are interested. I’m interested in teams that go deep in the playoffs.”

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